Mar 19th 2017 - East Anglia Border Terrier Club Championship Show

Show Critique:

What a pleasure it was for me to judge the East Anglian Border Terrier Club Championship Show on Sunday 19th March 2017. Thanks to the EABTC for inviting me to judge and to the exhibitors for the lovely entry and the sporting way in which they accepted my decisions. A really friendly relaxed atmosphere and a good big well lit ring awaited me, along with a good steward in Robert Brewster who did a sterling job keeping everything running smoothly. It certainly was a quality entry and I really enjoyed going over all the dogs and coats and pelts were much improved since the last time I judged. Toplines, shoulders and movement were varied but I was very pleased with my winners on the day, in some classes they would change places on another occasion but I was judging them today as I saw them, and how I interpreted the Breed Standard.

Results

Minor Puppy - Dog

well presented puppy who showed his head off, glad to award him BP. Good front assembly with the most superb straight forelegs with lovely neat feet and firm pasterns for one so young, good topline in profile movement, lovely tail and excellent coat and pelt. Good head with neat ears and dark eye. Best Dog Puppy & Best Puppy.

a bit immature in comparison to my winner but lots to like, pleasing head, good legs and feet and nice to go over but a tad heavier in the shoulder than one. Liked his rib and nicely angulated hindquarters, moved well.

Puppy - Dog

Mature youngster with a lovely outline, excels in neckline, topline and good tailset, a tad large in ear but overall a pleasing head with dark eye and good teeth. In super coat and a very eye catching rich red colour, moved well particularly off well angulated hindquarters.

Junior - Dog

Lovely type just looked immature against my winner and not as positive on the move. Really pleasing head and expression, neat ears and dark eye with short strong muzzle, good tweedy coat and thick pelt. Lots to like.

Yearling - Dog

B&T with a good profile in the stack, narrow across the shoulders and lovely rib and rock solid topline. Moved with drive off well angulated hindquarters, needs to settle in front movement. Stood away in his class but looked immature against his older peers in the challenge.

Post Graduate - Dog

Strong headed dog, perhaps a tad overdone for me, but dark eyes short strong muzzle and neat ears. Neat outline and retained a good topline on the move, quite a compact dog but was spannable, new fresh coat just starting to come through in a rich red eyecatching colour and a thick pelt, moved well in the rear a tad wide in front.

Mid Limit - Dog

Very attractive, typey male, nice head and expression, good neck into good shoulders and stood well on neat feet, easy to span and nicely angulated at the rear, would like a better topline as just seems to fall away over the croup, but moved confidently and so well presented as all appear to be from this kennel.

A lithe athletic dog with a wonderful, easy to span rib and narrow front and good shoulders, you could imagine he would get anywhere, stood well on neat feet and presented with good depth of coat, would like a bit more masculinity to his head and expression, moved well.

Limit - Dog

Strong headed male with dark eye and keen expression, short strong muzzle with good teeth and bite, nicely placed ears. Lovely to go over, good legs and feet with thick pads. Nicely angulated front and rear and moved well in profile and coming and going. Looks topsize but found him easy to span. Well presented in really good coat and pelt, liked him a lot.

another I really liked, preferred the expression of my winner and felt the winners front angulation was a tad better, but he is quality dog who moved well particularly at the rear with short well let down hocks, spannable and well presented in good jacket.

Open - Dog

Loved him when he came into the ring, had the Wow factor for me. Looks a real stallion dog and didn’t disappoint when I went over him. Pleasing head and expression, neat ears, dark eye, good teeth. Lovely neck into good shoulders, easily spanned, narrow throughout and felt hard and fit. Moved well off nicely angulated hindquarters, a really hard topcoat and thick pelt completed the picture. Moved and showed well and had a good rapport with his handler. Dog CC & BIS

one I have judged previously and liked as a younger dog. A slightly smaller dog overall than my winner and a different head type but fits the standard and is so well constructed, lovely shoulders and front assembly, good hindquarters and retains a good neckline, topline and tailset on the move. Well presented in really good coat and pelt and shows himself to advantage. Reserve Dog CC.

topsize male carrying a bit too much weight which made him hard to span, coat past its best today.

Minor Puppy - Bitch

1st

2nd

3rd

Res

VHC

Entries: 9 Absentees: 1

Some lovely puppies in this class who didn’t get placed, but many were just at their first show and found it all a bit daunting, hope they all enjoyed their outing win or loose and gained a bit of experience.

lovely puppy, loved her neck into good shoulders, narrow front, standing well on neat feet and thick pads, good rib and nicely angulated hindquarters, good tail, pleasing head and expression, moved confidently, retaining a good topline.

a more compact type than my winner but lovely to go over, liked her head and expression, neat feet and good legs and nicely angulated front and rear, good coat and pelt and lovely tail. Not as good in topline as my winner on the move today, but that just needs time at this stage.

I really loved this puppy and thought she would be my class winner , she looked a picture standing and was so well constructed when I went over her, very similar in type to my winner but sadly, she just didn’t like the lines on the matting and her handler had difficulty getting her to move over them. Give her time and a bit more experience.

Puppy - Bitch

stood out in this class, lovely typey puppy, looked so balanced, feminine head, dark eye and neat ears, good topline and tailset, and lovely carroty tail, nicely angulated for and aft, looked a picture in profile movement covering the ground well, good depth of coat and thick pelt. Best Puppy Bitch.

another I liked from this good class, pleasing head and expression with neat ears and dark eye, lovely neckline and topline and lovely tail, easy to span and in good coat and pelt, just had a tendency to stand a bit straighter in the stifle than my first and second, but moved well with drive.

Yearling - Bitch

really caught my eye when she came into the ring and stood out for me, loved her profile and long striding side gait, effortlessly covering the ground, nicely put together with a lovely rib, no exaggerations just a lovely balanced bitch, turned out to perfection in the most wonderful coat and pelt. Reserve Bitch CC.

Post Graduate - Bitch

overall a very balanced bitch with lots to like, neat outline with good topline, tailset and a really good carroty tail, liked her head and expression, a tad heavy across the shoulders but was easy to span, and she moved well. Well presented.

Mid Limit - Bitch

liked this one a lot and stood out in this class, neat front assembly, with straight forelegs, neat feet and firm pasterns, lovely head and expression with neat ears, lovely neckline into shoulder and good hind angulation, well presented in good coat and pelt, moved well.

Limit - Bitch

Didn’t have a great deal of top coat except a bit just coming in down her back and on her tail, but her pelt was thick and good undercoat. She won her place with her lovely rib and really good shoulder and front assembly. Lovely neat feet, thick pads and firm pasterns, moved well.

Open - Bitch

I really loved her, no exaggerations, just a good honest Border bitch who was the best moving bitch of the day coming and going, with a super ground covering side gait with good reach and drive. Well constructed, good rib and easy to span with pleasing head and expression, presented in superb thick tweedy coat and pelt. Bitch CC.

Another lovely bitch who was turned out to perfection, super outline in profile movement, good head with short strong muzzle, stood well on small neat feet. A tad heavier over the shoulders than my winner and not so positive in front movement.

Veteran - Bitch

a quality blue & tan who I have judged and given top honours to in the past, a real credit to her owner to present her looking so fit, she has an amazing coat and pelt and a lovely head and expression, looked good standing and on the move, she pushed my Reserve CC winner hard. Best Veteran.